Flow regulator



March 8@ 1927. C. H Sr'MOOT FLow REGULATOR 2v sheets-sheet Filed May 27. 1926 March 8,1927.

c. H. sMooT FLOW REGULATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet .2

Filed AMary 27, M

WITNESS IEYS l Parental Mar. s, 1927.

PATENT-ornata.

. CHARLES n. snoer, or MArLiiwoon, Naw

FLOW REGULATOR.

Applicaties ma my? si?, 1926. semi m. naiss.

This invention relates to regulators for controlling the proportional flow of fluids requiring definite ratios of mixture for ac complishing certain industrial results.

The object of the invention is to combine master control means for regulating the supply of fluid mixtures, with corrective means responsive to the rate of flow of the individual constitutents to check the' flow varying effort of the master control means. v

A further object is to combine with the above described means a master controller regulating from a central or distant point the ratio of flow between the constituents of the mixture as well as the total quantity of the flow.

A further object is to combine -with such a master controller a plurality of receptive i devices responding to the requirements of regulated to give a desired such controller, said devices having individual checking or bal-ancing-means to insure that while each individual device will respond 'to the general demands, the flow of the constituent-s controlled by each device will be held at the proper ratio to give a predetermined result.

Another purpose of the invention is to provide means which upon the cessation of the suppl of one of the constituents, the su ly ofy one or more of the constituents will be shut off.

As examples of the application of the in venton, may be cited the regulation or control of a mixture of air and gas for heating purposes, whereby the total amount and also the ratio vof the constituents may be held within certain predetermined limits; or the mixture of blast Jfurnace gas with coke oven gas or natural gas with-Blau gas may be so controlled to give a certain heating. value. Likewise other fluids suoli as oils of different gravities as, for example, kerosene and fuel oil may have their ratio and quantity specific gravity or a desired heating value. In each case the master controller will be made responsive to the required quality and quantity and will, when roper adjustments are made, automatical y vary the constituents to bring about the desired result.

The invention will now be described with vphragm operating reference to the accompanying drawing in which- Figure 1 represents a diagrammatic sectionof a particular application of the invention to the control of air and gas supply to burners, and

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view of the application of the invention to the control of liquid mixtures.

Referring to Figure 1, a gas main is shown at 1 and an air main at 2. At 3 is shown a burner of the type where gas supplied. through the burner gas pipe 4 and air supplied through the burner air pipe 5 are mixed 1n a chamber 6 before issuing from the orifice 7 of the burner, where combustion takes place. At 8 is illustrated another type of burner which may be called an orifice burner, in which the gas from the gas burner supply pipe 9 and the air from the burner air-pipe 10 are kept apart in the burner by, for example, a partition 11, until they reach the orifice of the burner where they become mixed as they ignite at the orifice 12. 13 and 14 may represent any form of furnace. At 1 5 is shown a master controller which may be located at any central point more or less remote from the burners. i The controller comprises an air chamber 16 `supplied with compressed air by pipe 17 from any suitable source, an adjusting cock 18 serving to regulate the ow of air to the chamber. Instead of air, any other fluid under pressure may be used for this purpose. The pressure ofthe air in the chamber 16 is controlled by a valve 19 which is shown coupled by lever 20 to a spring 21, the tension of which `is adjustable by screw 22. It will be understood that by adjusting the screw 22, the pressure in chamber 16 may be raised or lowered to any desired setting.

It will also be understood that instead of the Iloading of the valve 19 controlling the pressure in chamber 16 by means of a spring 21, the valve 19 may be under the control of some such device as a piston or diaunder a pressure of steam, for example, engendered by the heat from the burners. Leading oi from said chamber 16 are control conduits 23, 24, the

admission of compressed fluid to which is Abyt controlled by valves 25, 26. Other valves 27, 28 are used to permit the escape of air from the conduits. By adjusting the valves, admitting air to the conduits and permitting air toy escape from the conduits, the pressure in the conduits may be set at anyl desired proportion to the pressure in the chamber 16 and will follow this proportion as the pressure in chamber 16 varies. The variation of pressure in chamber 16 by the escape valve 19 is limited to the workingl range of the controller. The conduit 23 1s in communication with chambers 29, oneA for each burner air pipe and these. chambers have diaphragms 30 t t, operatmg on levers 31 pivoted at 32, tend to open valves or dampers 33 in the burner air pipe. Opposed to this tendency is the 'pressure in chambers 34, having diaphragme 35, the opposite sides et which receive pressure from pipes 36 and'37, the said pressures being ofdifferent values due to the fact that the pipes 36 and 37 are displaced longitudinally' in the burner air current. In the case of the orifice type burner at 8 this di'erential pressure is enhanced b having the ipe 36 communicate with the burner while the pipe 37 opens into the Jfurnace or into the atmosphere while in the mixed type of burner 3 the pressure is enhanced by having a restricted orifice as at 38. Similarly pipe 24 from the master controller leads to chambers 39 which have closing diaphragme 40 which, acting on levers 41, pivoted at 42, tend to open dampers or valves 43 in the burner gas pipes 4 and 9. f This tendency to open the valves 43 is opposed by diaphragms 44 in chambers 45, the chambers on the opposite sides of the diaphragms 44 being in communication with openings in the air current displaced longitudinally as in the case of the gas current. From the above description, it will be seen that the efforts of the master controller to adjust the valves in the burner air and gas ipes .according to the demand required e settin of the controller 'are counterbalanced by orces proportional to the square of the velocity of the air and gas flowing to the burners which is the ratio that should exist where the burners are required to give an output in heat proportional to a demand as indicated by a variation in pressure due to the heat. In the event of a substantial variation in either the gas pressure or the air pressure supplying the burners, it becomes imperative to have the gas shut off automatically as otherwise dangerous conditions, due to escape of unburned gas, might result. I, therefore, provide the master controller chamber 16 with two other relief valves 46 and 47. Valve 46 is held closed by a diaphragm 48 in a chamber 49 that is in communlcation through pipe 50 with the gas main. A suitable 'load which may be a weight, as shown at 51, resting on the diaphragm 48, serves to open wide the valve 46 1n case the Gas pressure in the gas main fails. The load must be such that the pressure in pipe'50 will be unable to open the valve 46 in any degree during the iiuctuations `controllable withinthe range of valve 19. Similarly valve 47 is under the control of diaphragm 52 and chamber 53 that is in communlcation through pipe 54 with the air main. Loading means 55 tend to open the valve 47 .against the pressure in the chamber 53 and will e'ect this opening should the air pressure fall` below a minimum. The opening of either valve 46 or 47 or both will reduce the air pressure in chamber 16 to such an extent as to allow the closing of valves 43 in the gas pipes, such valves being arranged to have a tendency to close. It Will be understood, however, that while I have shown the safety devices as acting to close the'valves 43, they may act to close main valves'in the gas main or to operate either directly or indirectly.

The passages or chambers 23, 24 have indicating gages 57, 58 to register the pressures in the respective conduits and at "59 is a similar gage for indicating the pressure in chamber 16.

It will be noticed that all the chambers 29 which are under the control'of the master are connected in parallel and similarly the gas chambers 39 are also connected in parallel to the master whereby each burner receives the same impulse which has to be balanced by the same flow and the burners therefore feed the same proportions of air and gas and develop the same amount fof heat.

The operation is as follows: Compressed air being supplied to the pipe 17 and the fan supplying the air main 2, started, gas may be admitted to the gas main 1.

assk in vsufevalVes 33 and 43 and hence air and gas. will flow from the mains to the burners.v The diaphragm The compressed air will be allowed by the mascontrolling these valves will b e so yproporl tioned and adjusted with respect -toy the master controller, that. the valves will. allow just the right proportion of air and gas to pass. Should either the air or gas tend to increase in flow beyond its roper proportion, the increased iiow wil cause an increase in the differential pressure on the two sides of diaphragms 35 or 44 which will bring about a closure of the valve until the said dii'erential has been restored toi-again balance the eiorts of the master controller acting through diaphragm 30 or 40. In this way, the apparatus may be made to so control the admission of air andhgas to the burners to insure 'thev most efficient combusing to the burners.

fore that the apparatus described gives a contr ller the Avolume of gases lowing may be made to vary to suit-the demands.

Should the gas supply to the mains fail for any reason so that the pressure in the gas mains falls below a prescribed minimum, then the pressure in chamber 49 will be iiisuliicientl to sustain the weight 51 and valve 46 will be opened by the sinking of the weight. The air will then escape so fast from the chamber 15 as to relieve the pressure in chambers 29 and 39 whereupon the valves 33 and 43 will close and shut oil both air and gas from the burners. Upon the other hand if the pressure of theair in the air main, should fall below a prescribed minimum, then the weight 55 will cause the opening o relief valve 47 of chamber 15, and thus in a similar manner cause the closure of both the air and gas valves lead- It will be seen theremeans of control during operation, and also a means of shut-down in case of failure of proper supply of air or gas.

While I have in the above description given a concrete example of how the invention may be applied to the problem of regulating air and gas 'flow kto burners, the use of the invention may be equally well eX- tended to regulate other fluids such as liquids whose mixture it is desired to control Within predetermined limits and in Figure 2' I have shown diagrammatically an arrangement whereby the admixture oi' two liquids may be regulated. In this case the numerals 60 and 61 indicate supply pipes through which liquids of different densities pass to a conduit 62 in which it is desired to have a mixture of the tv-'o liquids that will always contain the saine ratio of the two components, even while the total volume may be varied according to the requirements of the system by means of manual or master control. In each of the supply pipes 60 and 61 is inserted al restriction shown at 63 and 64 respectively. On each side of these restrictions, pipes 65, 66 lead to chambers 67 and 68 which have hetweeii them dia liragms 69 that through rods 7 0 operate on evers 71 connecting through levers and rods 7 2 With valves 7 3 to the end that when the flow in either' supply pipes 60 or 61 varies, the valves will tend to oppose or check this variation and keep it within prescribed limits. These prescribed limits are determined by balancing against such llow controlling means a force sent out, .for example. from a master controller such as shown in Figure l, which force will be proportional to the requirements of 4the system. The pipes 74 may represent conduits leading from the master controller Ato chainbers which are provided with flexible diaphragms 76 acting through r'ods 77 in arms tion at all times and through the inaster78 in opppstiltion tothe ellortlof diaphagms a ie master contro er may ictate` 69 sot the ratio and total quantity of the fluids,

while the local controlling means in the form of the chokes 63, 64, diaphragm 69 and their associated inemhers will prevent iluctuati on of the flow in the individual supply pipes froin interfering with such prescribed control, The prescribed control may be governed from any distant pointand may be manual or automatic. latter case the automatic mechanism will itself be controlled or be responsive tothe requirements which may, for example, be a esired hea-tin valve, a desired specific gravity or the 'ke. 4

I claim 1. In a flow regulator for controlling the proportional flow of a plurality of constituents, the combination comprising a plurality of supply pipes one for each constituent, means in each pipe for controlling the low theiein, master control means, means responsive to the master control to vary the flow in yeach pipe, and means responsive to the rate of flow in each pipe to check the said flow varying effort of the master control means.

2. In a flow regulator for controlling the proportional flow of a plurality of constituents, the combination comprising a plurality of supply pipes one for each constituent, means in each pipe for controlling the-flow therein, master control means, means responsive to the mastercontrol to vary the flow in each pipe-by said pipe flow controllinor means, and means responsive to the rate oi? flow in each pipe to check the said flow varying effort of the master cont-rol means.

v3. Iii a ow regulator for controlling the proportional flow of a plurality of constituents, the combination comprising a plurality of main supply pipes one for each constituent, a plurality of branch pipes leading therefrom, means in the branch pipes for controlling the flow therein, master control means, means responsive to the master con trol to vary the flow in each branch pi e, and means Vresponsive to the rate of flow 1n each branch pipe to check the said flow varyin veffort of the master control means in sai branch pipe. s

, 4. In a flow regulator for controlling the proportional `flow of a plurality of constituents, the combination comprising a plurality of main su ply pipes one for each constituent, a plura ity of branch. pipes leading from the-main ipes, means in the branch pipes `for contro ling the flow therein, master control means having loading means for controlling its working range, means responsive to the master control to vary the flow in each pipe by said pipe flow controlling means, and means responsive to the rate of flow in each In the pipe to check the said How varying eH'ort of the master control means. l

5. In a How regulator for controlling the proportional How of a plurality of constituents, the combination comprising a plurality of supply pipes one for each constituent, means in each pipe for controlling the How therein, master control means, means res onsive to the master control to vary the ow in each pipe by said pipe How controlling means, means responsive to the rate of How in each ipe to check the said How varying eH'ort o the master control means, and means at the master controller responsive to the How in one or more of the pipes to shut offY the sup ly in one or more of the pipes when the ow in one or more of the 'pipes falls below a given minimum.

6. In a gasburner regulator, the combination comprising gas and air supply pi s, means in each pipe for controlling the ow therein, master control means, means responsive to such control to vary the How of gas and air to the burners, means responsive respectively to the rate at which the gas and air Hows through the pipes to check the said How varying means.

7. In a gas burner regulator, the combinav"tion comprising gas and air supply pifpes,

means in each pipe for controlling the ow therein, remote control means, means responsive to such control to increase the How of gas and air, and means responsive respectively to the rate at which the gas and air Hows through the pipes to check the said increasing How means.

8. In a gas burner regulator, the combination comprising gas and air supply pipes, a plurality of burners sup lied from said pipes, means in the indivi ual burner supply pipes for controlling the How therein, said means comprising means responsive t0 the demands, for increasing and decreasing the How, and means balanced against said How control means, the said balancing means being responsive to the How in each individual burner supply pipe.

9. In a gas burner regulator, the combination comprising gas and air supply pi es, means in each pipe for controlling the 0W therein, remote control means having loading means for controlling the Working range of the burner, means responsive to such control to increase the How of gas and air, and means responsive respectively to the rate at which the gas and air Hows through the pipes opposed to the increasing How means to check the increasing How.

10. In a gas burner regulatory-the combination comprising gas and air supply pipes, a v*plurality of burners 4supplied from said pipes, a master controller, means in the individual burner supply for controlling the How therein, said means comprising means lresponsive to the general demands of the master controller for increasing and decreas- 1ng the How, and checking means balanced agamst said How control means, the said checkin means being responsive to the HoT 1n each mdividual burner supply.

1.1. In a gas burner regulator, the combinatlon comprising gas and air supply pi es, means 1n each pipe for controlling the ow therein, master control means having loading means for controlling the Working range of the burner, means responsive to such con- .trol to vary the How of gas and air to the burners, means responslve respectively to the rate at which the gas and air How through the individual burner pipes to check the said How varying means, and means at the controller responsive to the gas pressure for shutting off the supply of gas when the gas pressure falls below a given minimum.

12. In a gas burner regulator, the combination comprising gas and air supply pipes, means in each pipefator controlling the flow therein, master control means having loading means for controlling the working range of the burners, means responsive to such control to vary the How ot gas and air to the burners, means responsive lrespectively to the rate at which the gas and air Hows through the individual burner pipes to check the said flow varying means, and means at the controller responsive to the air pressure for shutting off the supply of gas when the air pressure falls below a given minimum I3. In a gas burner regulator, the combination comprising gas and air supply pipes, means in each pipe for controlling the How therein, master control means having loadlng means for controlling the working range of the burners, means responsive to such control to vary the How of gas and air to the burners, means responsive respectively to the rate at which the gas and air Hows through the individual burner pipes to check the said 'l How varying means, and means at the controller responsive to the gas or air pressure for shutting 0H the su ply of gas when the gas or air pressure fal s below a given minimum.

14. In a system of control for gas burners, the combination comprising main pipes for supplying respectively gas and air under pressure, individual gas and air burner pipes leading from the mainsA to burners, a master controlling means having loading means for keeping the How of air and gas proportion ate to the demands of the loa-ding Within the Working range, means in the individual gas and air burner pipes for controlling the How of gas and air to each burner, said How control means being coupled to amechanism moved in one direction in response to the efforts of the master control means, and in the reverse direction in response to a differential pressure due to the How in each individualburner pipe.

'10 of air and `15. In a system of control for gas burners, the combination com rising main pipes for supplying respective y gas and `air under pressure, individual lgas and air burner pipes 5 leading from the mains to burners, a master controlling means having a chamber adapted to lie-supplied with fluid under pressure and having loadin means controlling the pressure in said c amber for keeping the ow as proportionate to the demands of the loa ing within the Working range,

means in the individual as and air burner pipes for controlling the ow of gas and air to each burner, said flow control means being coupled to a. mechanism moved in one direction in response to the eorts of the master control means, and in the reverse direotion in response to a dierential pressure due to the iow in each individual burner plpe.

CHARLES H. SMOOT. 

